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Reviews
Ascension (2002)
The slow violence of dreams.
I do not recommend you see this movie if you are not a fan of Andrei Tarkovsky and Stanley Kubrick, or are only into gore and action flicks. I recommend you see this film if you like imaginative camera work, intricate sound design and evocative, memorable music.
The performances by the three leads may at first seem awkward, but paying close attention to the dialogue and interations between the three women will reveal the many layers that comprise their characters.
Kudos to David Kristian for providing a soundtrack reminiscent of the best John Carpenter or Tangerine Dream scores from the late 70s-early 80s, and for adding sound design so deep and disturbing that it might as well have been credited as a fourth lead character.
Hussain's compositions and lighting are also noteworthy, as he eschews the usual darkness and blue hues to instead bathe his characters and locations in pale natural light that becomes even more disturbing.
I was a little confused by the film's ending, but this is the kind of film you should own and have playing in the background as an atmosphere piece, slowly soaking it in over several years until you get every bit of its clever subtext.
Ascension (2002)
The slow violence of dreams.
I do not recommend you see this movie if you are not a fan of Andrei Tarkovsky and Stanley Kubrick, or are only into gore and action flicks. I recommend you see this film if you like imaginative camera work, intricate sound design and evocative, memorable music.
The performances by the three leads may at first seem awkward, but paying close attention to the dialogue and interations between the three women will reveal the many layers that comprise their characters.
Kudos to David Kristian for providing a soundtrack reminiscent of the best John Carpenter or Tangerine Dream scores from the late 70s-early 80s, and for adding sound design so deep and disturbing that it might as well have been credited as a fourth lead character.
Hussain's compositions and lighting are also noteworthy, as he eschews the usual darkness and blue hues to instead bathe his characters and locations in pale natural light that becomes even more disturbing.
I was a little confused by the film's ending, but this is the kind of film you should own and have playing in the background as an atmosphere piece, slowly soaking it in over several years until you get every bit of its clever subtext.
Ascension (2002)
The slow violence of dreams.
I do not recommend you see this movie if you are not a fan of Andrei Tarkovsky and Stanley Kubrick, or are only into gore and action flicks. I recommend you see this film if you like imaginative camera work, intricate sound design and evocative, memorable music.
The performances by the three leads may at first seem awkward, but paying close attention to the dialogue and interations between the three women will reveal the many layers that comprise their characters.
Kudos to David Kristian for providing a soundtrack reminiscent of the best John Carpenter or Tangerine Dream scores from the late 70s-early 80s, and for adding sound design so deep and disturbing that it might as well have been credited as a fourth lead character.
Hussain's compositions and lighting are also noteworthy, as he eschews the usual darkness and blue hues to instead bathe his characters and locations in pale natural light that becomes even more disturbing.
I was a little confused by the film's ending, but this is the kind of film you should own and have playing in the background as an atmosphere piece, slowly soaking it in over several years until you get every bit of its clever subtext.
La dernière voix (2002)
Not only is it a surreal fable, it is also the perfect short film.
Not only is "La Derniere Voix" a surreal fable, it is also the perfect short film.
Visually, it's like a cross between David Lynch's "Industrial Symphony No. 1", Andrei Tarkovsky's "Stalker", and Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner".
Storywise, it is a fabulous blend of irony, quiet horror, desperation, and sometimes even some hints of a cautionary tale, without ever being preachy. The issues of humanity's dependence on technology, race relations, not to mention the definition of love itself are all presented in the film, which also includes one of the most haunting ambient scores in recent years.
Fans of Karim Hussain's "Subconscious Cruelty" will not find what they are looking for here, as "La Derniere Voix" does not dwell on gory imagery to get it's point across. The film, although under 15 minutes long, feels like a feature, with great production values, and a clear indication that Karim Hussain is a director with a vision.